Fruit polishing machine



SePt- 22, 1964 F. D. HAMMOND ETAL 3,149,357

FRUIT PoLIsHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2l, 1963 INVENT OR. FAY D. HAMMOND THEODORE E. MEREDITH ATTORNEYS SePt- 22, 1964 F. D. HAMMOND ETAL 3,149,357

FRUIT PC'LISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ODORE E. MERE H BY W M ATTORNEYS United States Patent C) 3,149,357 FRUIT PLISHING MACHINE Fay D. Hammond, 23) W. 2nd N., and Theodore E. eredith, 4253 Mackay Drive, both of Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Jan. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,932

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-3.1)

This invention relates to devices for use in polishing fruit, whereby the fruits appearance is greatly enhanced for display purposes in stores, shows, fairs, and other places where it may be exhibited. The present application is a continuation-in-part of our prior application Serial No. 189,538, led April 23, 1962, now abandoned.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide a polishing machine that is capable of gently polishing fruit and other items of various diameters without necessitating any structural changes in the machine to accommodate the size differences; one that is easily loaded; and one from which the items can be quickly and easily removed after they have been polished.

Further objects are to provide such a machine that is economically constructed of but few readily obtainable parts, and wherein the bufiing surfaces most subject to wear are easily replaced.

In accomplishing the above objects, we utilize a motor driven action plate or turntable, the top face of which is covered with a soft buliing material. Pivotally mounted for movement to a position above and adjacent the turntable is a compartmented or section box in which the items are placed. This box is open at both ends and is compartmented by spaced partitions interconnecting concentric walls. The fruit engaging faces of the concentric walls may be covered with soft buiiing material, although, as will become apparent, this is not necessary to successful operation of the device.

Removable jackets or covers, having one side covered with soft bning material, are provided to slip over the partitions, such that the bufng material will contact the fruit. A top cover is provided to hold fruit in the compartmented box during polishing operation and the fruit engaging underface of this top is also covered with soft buing material.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detailed description of this presently preferred form of the invention, other more specific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the polishing machine mounted on a stand;

FIG. 2, a top plan view,

FIG. 3, an enlarged and exploded crosssectional view of the turntable, compartmented box, and top cover taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FiG. 4, an enlarged top plan view of the turntable;

FIG. 5, a similar view of the compartmented box;

FIG. 6, an enlarged top view of the top cover, with the circumferential periphery of the compartmented portion of the section box and of the turntable being indicated by a broken line;

FIG. 7, an enlarged view of a typical partition jacket; and

FIG. 8, an enlarged cross-sectional view of the partition and partition jacket taken on line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings:

In the illustrated preferred construction, the polishing machine, shown generally at 10, is mounted on a stand 11, FIG. 1. A drive shaft 12, fixed to the bottom of turntable 13, is journaled for rotation in the stand. Such ice shaft is rotated by any conventional power source, as, for example, by an electric motor (not shown) whose drive pulley is connected by a V-belt to a drive pulley 12a xed to shaft 12.

The top face of turntable 13 is covered with a soft buing material 14, seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4, to provide a polishing surface for fruit or other items as the turntable is rotated.

The items to be polished are placed on the top of the turntable and in compartments 15 of a box 16, which is normally positioned immediately above but not in contact with the turntable. Conveniently, the compartmented box is pivotally mounted by means of butt hinges 17 to the stand 11 or other support. Thus, merely by grasping the handle 1S, the compartmented box can be lifted and swung back from its normal position immediately above the upper face of turntable 13 to an out-ofthe-way position, wherein the top surface of the turntable is completely unencumbered.

The compartmented box is formed with a plurality of concentric walls 19, four of which are shown for purposes of illustration, interconnected by spaced partitions 2i?.

Jackets 21, FIG, 7, are formed of a single piece of strong but bendable material to have tabs 22 and tab insert openings 23, and are covered on one side with soft buiiing material 24. The jackets are folded in the middle, with the bufng material 24 on the outside, so as to bridge partitions 2t?. This can be seen in FIG. 5, where only a few of the jackets are shown in position. T he tab of each jacket is inserted through its opening 23 to lock the jacket in place, as best seen in FIG. 8.

Hingedly connected to the compartmented box 16, as, for example, by butt hinges 26, is a cover 27. A handle 2% is provided to facilitate lifting and lowering of this cover. The underface or" the cover is provided with a soft bufiing material 29 over the area which registers with the compartmented portion of the compartmented box when the cover is closed.

In operation, the cover 27 is raised and the items to be polished are placed in the compartments 15, where they rest on top of the bufling material 14 which surfaces turntable 13. When such cover is closed, it holds the items in the compartments against being bounced out during rotation of the turntable and also provides another buliing surface,

Rotation of the turntable is initiated by starting the motor. Frictional engagement of the material 14 with the items in the compartments will move such items in the direction of rotation of the turntable until they abut the jacketed partitions. As the turntable continues to turn, with the items prevented from traveling with it but being free within their respective compartments, it will impart rotary motion to such items. At the same time, the items will tend to climb the partitions. In so doing, they contact and are polished by the buing material on the partition jackets and turntable. If and when they are bounced about in the compartments, they are also polished by the buiiing material 29 on the underface of the top cover.

The rotation of the turntable will act to thrust the fruit against the jacketed partition with suiiicient force to wear this bufiing surface more rapidly than the others. When excess Wear occurs, it is a simple matter with the structure of the present invention to remove the jackets and reverse their sides on the partitions. After the buing material is worn off both sides, the entire jacket is easily replaced.

The motor is shut off after the fruit has been polished for the desired length of time, and top cover 27 and compartmented box 16 are swung back out of the way to render the fruit completely accessible for easy removal. The compartmented box is then replaced in position adjacent the turntable, and the apparatus is ready for another operation.

It should be apparent that the size of the fruit or other items that can be polished is limited only by the size of the compartments 15. In practice, it has been found desirable to make the compartments large enough to handle fruit up to four and 0ne-half inches in diameter, but this dimension may be varied as desired, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other constructions adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

We claim:

1. A fruit polishing machine comprising: a turntable, the top face of said turntable being covered with soft lbuing material; a section box open at its top and bottom and compartmented by spaced partitions interconnecting concentric Walls; soft bufting material on the faces of said spaced partitions; hinge means mounting said section box for movement between a position wherein said open bottom is closely overlying the top of said turntable and an out of the way position; and a top cover hinged to said section box for movement between section box top closing position and an out ofthe way position.

2. A finit polishing machine comprising: a turntable, the top face of said turntable being covered with soft bung material; a section box open at its top and bottom and compartmented -by spaced partitions interconnecting concentric walls; removable jacket means covered with soft bui'lng material bridging said partitions and locked thereon; hinge means mounting said section box for movement between a position wherein said open bottom is closely overlying the top of said turntable and an out of the way position; and a top cover hinged to said section box for movement between section box top closing position and an out ofthe Way position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 6, 1932 

1. A FRUIT POLISHING MACHINE COMPRISING: A TURNTABLE, THE TOP FACE OF SAID TURNTABLE BEING COVERED WITH SOFT BUFFING MATERIAL; A SECTION BOX OPEN AT ITS TOP AND BOTTOM AND COMPARATMENTED BY SPACED PARTITIONS INTERCONNECTING CONCENTRIC WALLS; SOFT BUFFING MATERIAL ON THE FACES OF SAID SPACED PARTITIONS; HINGE MEANS MOUNTING SAID SECTION BOX FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITION WHEREIN SAID OPEN BOTTOM IS CLOSELY OVERLYING THE TOP OF SAID TURNTABLE AND AN OUT OF THE WAY POSITION; AND A TOP COVER HINGED TO SAID SECTION BOX FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SECTION BOX TOP CLOSING POSITION AND AN OUT OF THE WAY POSITION. 